Velatum
by MysticDawn5
Summary: Kurogane's eyes opened slowly, and he looked at him with a mixed expression, something between disbelief and incredulity, and something else the mage could not quite pinpoint.


**Velatum**

**By Mystic Dawn**

* * *

**Notes:** Written for the TomoKuro and KuroFay challenge, in which you have to write a piece about the opposite pairing you ship.

* * *

_**primus**_

Kurogane had no tolerance for fools. And if there ever was such a fool that he could not even stand the sight of, that fool was Fay. He was everything Kurogane disliked—although to say that he disliked the blond mage was something of an understatement—he laughed too much, he never took anything seriously, and he was forever calling him by ridiculous names that didn't even make sense most of the time.

Fay was, in short, an embodiment of everything Kurogane despised. But for the life of him, he couldn't rightly say that he _hated_ him (despite the numerous times he had chased him around the room in a futile attempt to decapitate him).

His mother had once told him that there was a fine love between love and hate, and with childish gusto he had asked, "But isn't love the opposite of hate?" And she had cryptically replied that the opposite was the absence of those two emotions.

He hadn't quite understood what she meant at the time, nor could he readily admit that he had come to understand those words now. He supposed that an absence of emotion meant just that—an indifference, an apathy. But as his eyes drifted to the laughing man in the corner, he had to admit that he felt _something_, though he could not rightly explain what that something was.

* * *

_**secundus**_

Every morning Kurogane would be the first to wake, and every night he would be the last to go to bed. As a warrior, he had learned to rise with the sun, and he would go through his morning exercises almost religiously before everyone else had awoken. It was one of the only times during the day that he had to himself.

As of late, Fay had taken to waking up early as well. Sometimes, he would join the ninja outside with a warm cup of tea and just watch him as he trained. In these situations, Kurogane would pointedly ignore him and continue his training as if he wasn't even there. And since Kurogane hadn't said anything about his presence, he assumed that he didn't mind.

Fay rather liked this unspoken agreement, for it allowed him to see the ninja in his element. He admired the way Kurogane could twist his body into intricate stances, the sweat that stood out upon his skin, the sure and steady strokes of his sword as he hacked at invisible foes, and the look of fierce concentration in his bright red eyes.

The only time Kurogane looked truly alive was with a weapon in hand, as if the rest of the time he was a dam just waiting to burst at the seams if given the chance, Fay had concluded. And he had to admit, that was the quality about him that he found the most appealing.

* * *

_**tertius**_

Fay's muscles relaxed as he basked in the warmth of the hot summer sun. The light breeze tickled his cheeks, and the cotton clouds overhead stood out against the azure sky, filling him with a sense of serene wistfulness he had had years to feel.

His pale face turned to the tanned figure lying with his eyes closed in the grass beside him.

"I'm very happy," he whispered.

Kurogane's eyes opened slowly, and he looked at him with a mixed expression, something between disbelief and incredulity and something else the mage could not quite pinpoint.

"This valley is... beautiful." He felt a need to explain himself, to make Kurogane understand. "It's tranquil... peaceful... it makes me feel things I haven't felt in ages."

Kurogane snorted softly, and his gaze drifted back to the sky.

"I noticed you didn't rebuke my words..." Fay smiled triumphantly. "So it has the same effect on you too, Kuro-puu? How wonderful! We're on the same wavelength!" He sat up and clapped his hands like a child who had just been treated to his favorite dessert.

"Stop getting worked up over something so trivial, you moron."

Kurogane raised an arm and tugged on Fay's shirt to get him to lie back down again. He swatted at his hand, but Kurogane tugged harder, causing him to fall back into the grass with a small_thump!_

Fay didn't say anything, but it wasn't appearing as if he would settle down again that easily. He twitched with anticipation, as if there was something on his mind that he was bursting to let out. Kurogane just rolled his eyes at Fay's antics and closed his eyes again, allowing himself to relax his guard just enough to loosen his tense muscles.

After some time, he felt something touch his arm. He opened one eye to see that Fay had drawn closer to him, close enough for their bodies to touch. Fay stifled a yawn and laid his head against Kurogane's shoulder, murmuring a soft, "G'night," before closing his eyes.

Kurogane didn't know whether to start, spring to his feet and get as much distance between them as he could, exclaim vehemently, or just shrug him off—but seeing how peaceful Fay looked in his sleep, he decided to give him a few more moments before deciding how he would react to this situation.

After all, he wasn't _too_ uncomfortable.

* * *

_**quartus**_

It was raining.

A rhythmic, never-ending stattaco beat against the windowpane. Outside, passers-by huddled in jackets and struggled to keep their umbrellas steady as they all scurried about like ants to escape indoors... One pair in particular stood out—a young man holding a small umbrella above his partner's head. It resulted in her managing to be completely dry, but he himself getting half-drenched. He didn't seem to mind, though.

Fay sighed blissfully, and his warm breath fogged up the glass. It was admirable, in a way, to see people who were so happy together. His ice-blue eye drifted back towards the window. With a slender forefinger, he began to draw a face: two dots for eyes and an upside-down curve for a mouth. No, not a smile. He didn't feel like smiling right now.

He looked over his shoulder, to the light seeping underneath the closed door. He knew _he_ was out there. But he just wasn't ready to face him. After what had happened—his hand unconsciously crept to the black cloth on the left side of his face—he could never forgive him.

_Never._

* * *

_**quintus**_

Kurogane had tried, several times, to get the mage to talk, to respond, to _react_ to what had happened, but nothing seemed to work. Even worse, it was as if Fay had managed to withdraw even further into that protective shell of his, refusing to let anyone get close.

And by anyone, of course, it meant _him_.

So Kurogane had decided to try a different tactic: he had decided to wait. He hoped that, eventually, Fay would come around. Kurogane would give him the time and space he needed, then be a shoulder for him to lean on when he would be ready to take him back.

But as the days dragged on and on, he had begun to wonder whether things would ever truly be the same again.

* * *

_**sextus**_

When Kurogane had finally come round to, Fay had been torn between crying with relief and chastising him for doing something so incredibly _stupid_ for his sake. But he knew that to do either would be to pass on a message, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to cross that line again after deciding that he would distance himself from the ninja.

But the way Kurogane's eyes had lifted to his face when he came into the room, and all he could mutter was a simple, "Hey," once he had reached his bedside, somehow gave Fay the strength to make his mind up. Drawing back his hand, he punched him, simple as that. Maybe knocking some sense into him would do some good.

And the incredulous look of shock and surprise on Kurogane's face made Fay smile his first genuine smile, which, although was still rather tight, was genuine nonetheless. "This is payback, Kuro-sama."

The fierce grin that made its way upon Kurogane's face was equally tight, but relieved. "You bastard, I'll beat you up!"

And Fay had to admit that he felt just as relieved as the ninja. Because now, they could be honest. No more hiding and no more deceit was necessary. Of course he could forgive Kurogane after everything he'd done for him. It almost seemed silly how scared he had been in retrospect.

And now, it was just the two of them, together again.

* * *

_**septimus**_

It was over.

Kurogane sighed heavily. He felt so incredibly tired, and strangely light-headed, and yet devoid of emotions all at the same time. It was a strange feeling. He had expected to feel a sense of completion when this was all over, as if they had accomplished something worthwhile. But all he felt was drained, both physically and mentally. He did not feel proud, or satisfied. He just wished that things hadn't turned out like this.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder lightly, comfortingly. He didn't even need to turn around to see who it was. After a moment, the hand intertwined with his own.

"I want to go home," Fay whispered, gripping his fingers tightly.

Would it even be the same, returning home, after so much they had been through, together? Of course it wouldn't—but he was willing to make it work out for them.

_For us._

"...Let's go home."


End file.
